Chapter 6 #2
“Don’t be an idiot,” Delphine said. “Raoul wants to talk to you.” She made an attempt at charming with a pretty smile that didn’t touch her eyes.
“Look, this really is for your own safety. We consider you one of us, so we protect you. But we can’t patrol blocks and blocks of territory.
It’s too dangerous for both you and our men.
Much better for everyone if you come with me, okay? ”
“I don’t know…” Hazel blew out a breath as if she were considering it.
Frankie wasn’t fooled, but Delphine was.
She was just rolling her eyes when Hazel shoved her hard.
The door was open, so Delphine went stumbling backward in her designer sandals.
Not bad enough to fall, but enough to get her past the threshold and onto the concrete steps.
Then Hazel grabbed hold of the door and slammed it shut.
Or she tried to. Hazel was fast, but apparently, Delphine was faster.
She blocked the door with one hand. She didn’t have the strength to send Hazel flying, but the door sure as hell didn’t slam shut.
Frankie tensed, raising up onto her feet.
She could be down there in a shot, but Hazel bellowed straight into Delphine’s face.
“Stay back!”
The message appeared to be for Delphine, but Frankie knew it was meant for her.
Hazel didn’t want her running to the rescue.
And given that the older woman was a master in Aikido, not to mention a few other martial arts, Hazel probably had it under control.
Still, her muscles twitched with the need to confront Delphine.
Detective Kennedy, too, apparently, because he was already on his feet.
“Stop,” she hissed right in his face, the words as much for herself as him. “She can handle herself.”
His eyes blazed into hers, but she completely blocked his path. If he wanted to go downstairs, it would have to be through her. And then they heard a thump on the stairs, hard enough to rattle the floor where they stood.
As one, they turned to see what was going on, and Frankie couldn’t resist an inner grin. Delphine lay sprawled on her side on the stairs. Her blouse was untucked, and her eyes were wide with surprise. Hell, even her makeup was visibly smudged.
Frankie could guess what had happened. Hazel had abruptly released the door. Given the pressure Delphine was putting on it, she must have flown forward, tripped over Hazel’s perfectly placed foot, and landed on the stairs.
“I said, no,” Hazel said calmly. Then she adjusted her position so she was framed in the open doorway.
Frankie knew what was going to happen next.
In a fit of pique, Delphine was going to surge forward to grab Hazel by the throat.
Hazel would duck at the last second, and Delphine would be out on her ass.
Door slam, bolts thrown, then Hazel would threaten to call the cops.
It wasn’t much of a threat since the cops were overloaded, but no way would Delphine go to more drastic methods to take Hazel.
She’d stomp away to fix her makeup in the car.
No problem.
Frankie even relaxed, anticipating the show.
She saw Delphine’s body tense while Hazel’s grew calm and centered. And then—
Oh shit.
Delphine shifted. Where one second there had been a prissy bitch sprawled on the stairs, now there was a golden-brown wolf in a loose blouse and leggings flying at Hazel’s throat.
Hazel dodged, mostly because she’d been prepared, but she hadn’t expected Delphine’s speed or that she’d use claws, not hands.
Hazel’s jump landed her hard against the door, but there was no time to react.
Delphine had already pivoted. Wolves were a hundred times faster on their feet than humans.
She sprang at Hazel before anyone else could move.
If Delphine had wanted to go for Hazel’s throat, Frankie’s best friend would now be dead. Apparently, she wanted Hazel alive, so she clamped down hard on Hazel’s upper arm. Hazel howled and beat down on Delphine’s head with her fist, but it had no effect. And all the while, Hazel kept screaming.
“Stay back! Stay back!”
It was the only thing keeping Frankie upstairs.
Logic. Strategy. The words had been burned into her since birth.
It didn’t help anyone if she ran to the rescue and exposed herself and Kennedy before she had the proof she needed to take her brother down.
Besides Hazel could handle this, right? She was a martial arts master.
Except the more Frankie watched, the more terrified she felt for the older woman.
No matter how much Hazel struggled, Delphine just kept her jaws clamped tight.
Blood and saliva flew as Hazel tried one attack after another.
Not just her free hand, she kicked as well, but the wolf hung on.
Who knew the bitch could take a beating like that?
Hazel had to stop. Delphine was ripping the shit out of her arm. It was only a matter of time before she tore something vital.
“Stay back! Stay ba—” The last word ended on a scream as Delphine must have bit down hard. Had she broken bone?
Frankie lunged forward, but was stopped by Kennedy. He gripped her arm and spoke in a low tone. “Can you take out both of them? Are they going to kill her? Or just talk to her?”
Both of them? What the hell—
He gestured to the open doorway where Frankie’s third cousin Wade was standing with a gun. He had it pointed casually down at Hazel and was obviously waiting for a pause in the action to shoot. The break came all too soon as Hazel froze, panting hard.
“Do I carry you, Hazel?” he asked. “She can snap your arm in half right now if you fight her. And she will.”
“Stay back,” Hazel said, and her words held strength for all that she was out of breath. “You can’t drag me out of my own home.” Oh God, the quiet defiance in those words broke Frankie’s heart. Because they obviously could.
“You want to walk on your own two feet?”
There was a long pause as Hazel obviously considered her option. “Stay back,” she repeated.
Damn it, the woman was fucking stubborn, warning Frankie to stay away, but she had a point. Even with all of Frankie’s new abilities, she didn’t think she could take on a werewolf and a gunman at once. Certainly not from all the way up the stairs. Wade would shoot her before she got three steps.
Then Delphine had to go and make it worse. She shook her head—teeth still deep in Hazel’s arm—making the older woman cry out in pain.
“Come on, now,” Wade said, his voice calm. “Please help us keep you safe.”
“This is safe?” Hazel asked, her voice bitter. The community center couldn’t be any worse than getting her arm torn up, but Hazel despised being told by anyone where to go or what to do. She created PLACE so women couldn’t be forced to do anything they didn’t want.
“You’re the one being stubborn,” Wade returned.
Eventually Hazel nodded. “I’ll go. Just…let me get my purse.”
“You won’t need it,” Wade said. Then he held out his hand as if he were a gentleman instead of a brute.
Hazel wouldn’t touch him, so he grabbed hold of her free arm without her consent. And then Delphine released her jaws. Hazel hissed in pain, but she glared at the wolf.
“Stay back,” and this time the message might have been for the wolf. Didn’t matter. Wade hauled her to her feet, then all three marched out the door before Wade pulled it shut behind them.
Damn it!
Frankie twisted out of Kennedy’s grip then rushed downstairs. She got to the door in time to see Hazel climb into the backseat of Delphine’s car, her expression pale but still defiant.
Damn, damn, damn! What the fuck did Raoul want with Hazel? She was still considering her options when she heard a heavy clatter upstairs. Oh hell.
She dashed back upstairs to find Kennedy toppled half on the cot, half on the floor. His strength had finally given out.